Crazy estimates... what's up???

IDIMyself · 02-04-2013, 06:45 PM

Got another estimate on a new furnace for my building.
First guy: (highly recommended but didn't take any measurements)
125,000 BTU Trane $7900

Second guy: (I picked him out of the phone book... took tons of measurements)
TWO 125,000 BTU Goodmans twinned together... price unknown (he just came today). Sez there's no way a single unit could get the heat up to the third floor much less heat an uninsulated 3-brick-thick building.

The building is 3500s/f, no insulation except for the attic, all new windows.

BTW, second guy said that the furnace is all cast iron and the heat exchanger won't crack. Can this be true?

One more question... the reason the furnace isn't working is that the blower motor burned out. I took it off and took it to a motor repair place. He said it's 40 y/o and can't be fixed. He is prepping a new motor for me to get the place up and heated again. So... in the meantime, the burner is still going on and off but there's no blower. Is it bad for the furnace to not have the blower running? I am picking up the motor tomorrow.

Thank you!

TarheelTerp · 02-04-2013, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IDIMyself

BTW, second guy said that the furnace is all cast iron and the heat exchanger won't crack. Can this be true?

In principle... yeah. And if it wasn't already 90 years old I'd be more aggressive about pushing the long term fix ideas

Quote:

One more question... the reason the furnace isn't working is that the blower motor burned out. I took it off and took it to a motor repair place. He said it's 40 y/o and can't be fixed. He is prepping a new motor for me to get the place up and heated again.

Ever hear of Grainger? http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml
Get one of their catalogues.

Quote:

So... in the meantime, the burner is still going on and off but there's no blower. Is it bad for the furnace to not have the blower running?

VERY bad.